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Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara announced on Thursday that her office will launch an investigation into connections between officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and individuals linked to Qatar.
According to Baharav-Miara, during a discussion attended by the state attorney, the head of the Israel Police’s Investigations and Intelligence Division, and Shin Bet professionals, information was presented regarding ties between individuals operating within the Prime Minister’s Office and entities associated with Qatar.
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Yisrael Einhorn, Eli Feldstein, Yonatan Orich
(Photo: Shaul Golan, Boaz Arard, Q world / Shutterstock)
The probe will be conducted by the Shin Bet and the police. Authorities believe the suspicions against the Prime Minister’s Office officials involve abuse of power and actions taken while in a conflict of interest.
The case involves three of Netanyahu’s associates: Eli Feldstein, his spokesman, who was previously investigated in a classified documents leak case; and advisers Yonatan Orich and Yisrael Einhorn, who are also suspects in that case. Einhorn has been abroad since the scandal broke.
The decision marks an escalation, shifting the case from a security review to a criminal investigation. Suspects will now be questioned under caution, not merely as witnesses.
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Feldstein, though not formally employed by the PM’s office, reportedly received payment from a private international firm for managing a PR campaign promoting Qatar’s image in Israel.
The campaign focused on Qatar’s role in hostage deal negotiations, with Feldstein arranging interviews with Qatari officials and disseminating their messages. This took place while Qatar mediated regional talks, despite Netanyahu’s criticism of the Gulf state for “serving Hamas.”
Orich and Einhorn allegedly provided PR consulting to Qatar, including a 2022 campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup, aimed at portraying Qatar — a known funder of terrorism — as a legitimate supporter of regional peace.
Einhorn’s firm, Perception, partnered with another company, Coyote, co-owned by retired Brig. Gen. Eli Ben-Meir, a former IDF intelligence official now leading an investigation into the October 7 attacks.
All individuals involved have denied the allegations. Netanyahu called the probe a “witch hunt” against him and his team, while opposition leader Yair Lapid warned of “an Arab state’s infiltration into the Prime Minister’s Office.”
“Netanyahu’s closest aides received large sums of money. This isn’t just corruption — it’s a dangerous threat to national security,” Lapid added.
Qatar, one of the world’s wealthiest nations and a key Hamas funder, has long used its financial influence to gain leverage globally. Reports of payments to Netanyahu’s associates have raised concerns about similar efforts in Israel.
Netanyahu has denied any influence from the payments, claiming funds sent to Gaza were for humanitarian purposes, not Hamas. The Shin Bet remains the sole body authorized to investigate the matter, with Lapid stressing: “The suspects cannot fire the Shin Bet chief to control the probe.”